Olandria Carthen Won Love Island — Even If She Came In Second

On Love Island USA Season 7, Olandria Carthen was one half of the audience’s favorite love story — she just didn’t know it. While viewers instantly picked up on her romantic chemistry with Nic Vansteenberghe, she was slower to see the vision in real time. “Now that I’ve seen the clips, I get it,” she says. “You can just see him yearning from afar. You know what I mean?”

I do — and so does everyone else who watched Love Island. Carthen first kissed Vansteenberghe on Day One after the Islanders were asked to kiss someone they were attracted to. He returned the favor on Day Two during a challenge where Islanders could kiss a contestant outside of their couple. (Carthen, who was blindfolded at the time, didn’t realize it was him.) As the season unfolded, Carthen and Vansteenberghe focused on other connections. For weeks, they insisted it was platonic. Fans, however, disagreed. Just one day after Season 7 aired, fans began rooting for the duo and coined the ship name “Nicolandria.”

Despite longing glances, a lumberjack-themed make-out session, and toe-sucking (courtesy of Vansteenberghe), the duo didn’t give their romance a real chance until Episode 30. Only five episodes later, they finished the season in second place. Turns out the Love Island audience loves a slow burn — and so does Vansteenberghe.

“If you listen to his Love Island intro, Nic loves to chase women. If you’re just too accessible, he’s going to be like, ‘All right, this is cool and all, but I like when women kind of don’t like me,’” the Alabama native says. “Me, I’m already standoffish, even if I like you a lot. A lot of guys are intimidated by that, but he’s intrigued. He always says, ‘You’re like a mystery; I want to figure you out.’” Has he managed it yet? “For the most part, yes,” Carthen says before laughing. “I’m scared to tell him that because I want to keep him on this chase.”

It’s a Friday morning in August, and Carthen (aka Bama Barbie) is doodling hearts and the words “Live. Laugh. Love.” on a piece of paper. We’re in the Elite Daily offices, catching up after her photo shoot. The 27-year-old has spent the past week in New York City, busy with a packed press run — including appearances on the Today show and The Tonight Show — and filming the Season 7 reunion. The madness is almost over, though. Next to us, there’s a huge bag of luggage: Her flight home to Houston, Texas, is only a few hours away.

She grew up in Decatur, Alabama, as the oldest of six kids. A quintessential eldest daughter, Carthen showed maturity early on and learned to lead with intention. To Carthen’s tight-knit circle of family and friends, it was clear she was destined for the spotlight. “They always knew, even prior to this,” she says. Before heading to the villa, they encouraged her to post more home decor content on TikTok, where she had just fewer than 8,000 followers. Carthen’s current TikTok following is 1.4 million. “Coming into this new life, they’re so supportive,” she says.

Before joining the Love Island USA cast, she had a corporate job, working as an elevator and escalator sales specialist. She was initially asked to join the show for Season 5 in 2023 and then again for Season 6 in 2024. The first time, she was less than a year into her job and not ready to give it up. The second time, she was away on a birthday trip to Thailand. “I said to myself, ‘You know what, God, if this is meant for me, please put this back on my path in 2025.’” As they say, the third time’s the charm.

This time, Carthen was fed up with her job and the dating scene in Houston. So when casting came knocking, she was ready. “I wanted to treat Love Island as my own journey to find myself and help myself out,” she says. “In the real world, I would get rid of a guy after the first red flag, and I move on to the next. In the villa, you’re forced to work through those pain points with the person and grow.”

In the beginning, I wasn’t selfish. I was always worried about everyone else.

Carthen experienced her fair share of challenges in Fiji before the Nicolandria magic happened. At the start, she seemed set on dating her typical type: a cowboy. “When I said I wanted a cowboy, I just wanted a man who values women — holds doors open, really courts you. If you know how to treat women, you don’t need a hat,” she says, joking, “Well, if you can wear a hat, that’d be great.” (Vansteenberghe is likely trying on Stetsons as we speak.)

Understandably, she initially paired off with the only cowboy in the villa, Taylor Williams. For the first two weeks, they seemed locked in on each other. But when Williams connected with Clarke Carraway in Casa Amor, a love triangle began, and Carthen was pulled along for the ride. “I was in a situation where it was hard for me to let a connection go, and I found myself getting lost in that,” she says. “I had to realize it was another character development thing. That hurt my feelings, but I know you’re not for me. Let me just move forward.”

Looking back, Carthen can see clearly that it wasn’t meant to be. “I stayed in a connection longer than I was supposed to because I was too scared. I knew that person played such a huge part in everyone'‘ journey. Literally, Nic, Ace, and Taylor were the Three Stooges. All the girls loved him,” she says.

In the villa, Carthen was also close with Vansteenberghe’s connection, Cierra Ortega. “In the beginning, I wasn’t selfish. I was always worried about everyone else.” However, when Williams chose to pursue Carraway and Ortega was removed from the show, Carthen was able to see the bigger picture. For Nicolandria fans, it was about damn time. Now, Carthen sees that this turning point was overdue. “The moment I started to look at Nic differently was after the infamous Soul Ties kiss,” she says. (The makeout happened nine episodes earlier, when they were paired up during a Casa Amor twist.)

I see a lot of ‘Oh, that’s not genuine.’ I’m just like, ‘Why would we keep this up?’

After coupling up again — for real this time — Carthen and Vansteenberghe leaned into the romance of their final week in the villa. By the end, they both recognized that their Love Island journey really came down to finding each other. As Vansteenberghe put it in his finale speech, “How many signs did we miss on the way?”

Post show, Carthen and Vansteenberghe are dating and “getting to know each other day by day,” despite some fans’ impatience. “Some people were saying I need to show up to the reunion pregnant and married,” Carthen says. “I’m like, ‘Ah, it’s been three weeks.’ They keep forgetting we’re in the real world now. If you’re dating somebody for three weeks, are you automatically their girlfriend?” Even though she’s booked and busy, she’s been keeping up with Vansteenberghe over the phone. He’ll even pick up her FaceTimes in the middle of a wild music festival crowd. (“As long as you can pick up that phone, we’re good,” she says.)

Although their relationship is still undefined, they’re consistent about showing up for each other. “I would be so overwhelmed if I came out of the villa and didn’t have my person to navigate this new reality with,” she says. “It’s still tough, but having him there to limit my screen time — because I was reading the crazy comments — do mental check-ins with me, and just sit with me through it all has been helping.” Carthen’s relationship with Vansteenberghe has brought a softer, sillier side of her to the surface. “I’m not this old, mysterious, serious girl all the time. Come on, that’s exhausting,” she says. “I’m just as goofy as Nic. I hate that you guys didn’t see that [on the show].” But fans are starting to notice her sense of humor, whether it’s a quick one-liner or a viral fourth wall break during the reunion.

Of course, being a fan favorite doesn’t come without a side of criticism, particularly from the show’s fans (and even fellow Islanders) who doubt the sincerity of their relationship. “It’s very draining to see the negative side of social media, whether it’s directed at me or me and Nic,” she says. “I see a lot of ‘Oh, that’s not genuine.’ I’m just like, ‘Why would we keep this up?’ It doesn’t even make sense. I’m not even in the villa anymore. I know the excuse at that time was ‘Oh, this is the producers’ doing.’ Now, I’m like, ‘Eh, all right, stop with that.’” Carthen doesn’t have to fight these online battles alone — or at all, really. “Nicolandria Nation is so huge. I don’t even have to do anything. I just post my pictures and go.”

I thought I was blunt, but he says the damnedest things.

It helps that Carthen knows the real behind-the-scenes of their relationship — and she has no worries about Vansteenberghe’s intentions. “Nic cannot lie. I thought I was blunt, but he says the damnedest things,” she says. “He is so authentically himself. Who he was in the villa is who he is now. No surprises. I think I love that about him,” she says. And yes, she’s seen all the fawning comments he left under the photos of Barack and Michelle Obama. “I think he only comments when Michelle is in the picture. It’s a whole running joke. I’m like, ‘What is that about, Nic?’”

Vansteenberghe has now transitioned to leaving thirsty comments on Carthen’s photos instead — luckily, that’s just her type. “I hate a nonchalant guy. If you like me, show me. If you want me, show me,” she says. “Love me out loud. Let the world know who I am.”

While her and Vansteenberghe’s connection was gradual, it was BFF at first sight for Carthen and her villa bestie Chelley Bissianthe. “I looked at her [on Day One], I’m like, ‘Oh, girl, we’re locked in. You just don’t know it yet,’” Carthen says. As for the “mean girl” rumors about her and Bissianthe, she’s not here for it. “Towards the end of the season, some Islanders went in and played into the perception America had,” she says. “It was disappointing. Like, guys, y’all were there in real time. Y’all know what happened. Don’t come out and play into this crazy narrative because then people are going to think it’s true.”

At the reunion, she confronted Huda Mustafa for spreading the “bullies” rumor on Call Her Daddy. After the podcast aired on July 17, Carthen and Bissianthe unfollowed Mustafa — something fans noticed instantly. “I just keep forgetting my life is under a microscope,” Carthen says about it now. “They pick up on any little thing I like or comment on. I gotta be very strategic on how I move on social media.”

Regardless, she stands by her decision. “It’s something I truly wanted to do,” she says. “Did I think it was going to be a big deal and people would make viral posts about it? No. But I would’ve done it anyway.”

This kind of unbothered, take-no-sh*t attitude is Carthen’s trademark. It’s why she isn’t too concerned about clout-chasers, despite warnings from former Islanders. “I’ve always been very careful about that,” she says. “Even before the villa, people would say, ‘I want to hang out with you. You’re so pretty.’ I'm like, ‘Besides being pretty, why else do you want to hang with me?’”

Leaving the villa, Carthen’s future in the spotlight seemed clear. Audiences have been manifesting modeling gigs, talent contracts, and more for the fan favorite — and it’s paying off. Carthen signed with UTA’s Digital Brand Architects in August. This fall, she plans to move to Los Angeles, and in September, she’ll return to Manhattan for New York Fashion Week.

It’s all a longtime dream for the fashion-savvy star, but a predictable outcome for fans who watched her on TV. (Not everyone can pull off a sparkly catsuit, gold-plated gown, and denim micro-shorts all in one summer.) “I never thought I’d be mentioned in the same sentence as people like Naomi Campbell. So this is right up my alley,” she says. “I like the whole fashion thing.” Her voice goes higher as she imitates her own surprise: “You think of me like that?”

She was taken aback when Vogue named her the best-dressed Islander since most of her villa wardrobe came from affordable fast-fashion brands. “Just to be noticed in that capacity — like ‘although her clothes are cheap, she made it look like high fashion,’” she says.

With campaigns for Nyx Cosmetics and Kulani Kinis under her belt, Carthen has already come a long way from posing in the villa photo booth. Now that the reunion is behind her, she’s ready to leave the drama behind, too. “Regardless of how emotionally draining my journey was, I still came out on top,” she says.

Having a devoted hype man in her corner makes all the difference. “My favorite part about this crazy life is being able to do it with him, being able to lean on him in all this,” she says. No cowboy hat required.